morgan



.2 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. E. MORGAN. PREPAYMENT- VENDING APPARATUS.

(No Model.)

No. 550,633. Patented Deo, 3, 1895.

Nirn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FRANK EDWARD MORGAN, OF VEST HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM N. MILSTED, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PREPAYNI ENT VENDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 550,633, dated December 3, 1895.

Application `iled February 4, 1895. Serial No. 537,207. (No inodel.)

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK EDWARD Mon GAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Vest Haven, New Haven county, Connecticut, have invented Improvements in Prepayment Vending Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct a simple but efficient prepayment vending apparatus, which may be conveniently .attached to measuring, weighing, or other coincontrolled apparatus, and which can be operated by the insertion of a coin and operated through the coin itself.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a transverse sectional view of my apparatus. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on the line 2 2, Fig. l, looking in the direction of the arrow l. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the same line looking in the direction of the arrow 2. Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. l, with the coin in position. Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective diagrams illustrating the operation of the mechanism. Figs. 7, 8, 9,10, and ll are views of modifications of my invention.

A is the casing` of the apparatus.

B is the operating-shaft, and C is the controller-shaft, to which motion is imparted, this shaft C being connected to any of the supply-controlling parts of a gas-meter or any other measuring, weighing, delivery, or vending apparatus. The shaft Bis provided with a suitable handle b, by which it can be turned.

In the casing is a coin-slot a, to be closed by a hinged cover a, pivoted at a2 to the casing and having a dog a3.

To the shaft B is attached a disk B and the parts which constitute the coin-carrying mechanism. In the disk is a coin-slot b2, which can be brought in line with the coinslot a in the casing, and when these two slots align with each other a notch b in the periphery of the disk B is in line with the dog a3 on the cover c', so that then and then only this cover; can be raised to insert a coin.

Upon the disk B are mounted two coin-re ceiving jawsD and E, one movable toward and from the other and one capable of being turned upon its aXis or pivot to a vlimited ex tent. The jaw D, which has a groove d2 for the reception of the coin, is mounted to be capable of rotation in bearings in the disk B and a bearing-plate d, which is carried by studs d d on the disk.

In bearings e e, projecting from the disk B', are rods or stems e', carrying the jaw E, which is mounted directly opposite the jaw D and has a slot e2, also for the reception of the coin. Vvvhen the coin is inserted between the jaws, the latter alone will positivelyclalnp 6 o and hold the same between them.

On one of the posts e is a spring e3, 4which tends to force the jaw E toward the jaw D, so far as a stop-pin S will allow. The jaws D and E are in line with the slots d and b2, so

that when a coin is passed through the slots o. and b2 it will enter between and be firmly held directly by the jaws D and E, which, owing to the spring c3, may be termed springj aws.7 A projection a4 is provided on the in- 7o ner face of the door a to push the coin through the opening in the casing and between the jaws D and E when the door is closed. The normal space between the jaws in relation to the size of the coin for which the device is in- 7 5 tended is such that when the coin is forced between the jaws the jaw E slides or is moved away from the jaw D and the projection c4 on the jaw E is caused to engage with a toothed wheel F on the shaft C. is turned, the shaft C will also be turned with it, but when the coin is released from control of the jaws, the spring c3 will move the jaw E to disengage the projection e4 from the wheel If then the shaft B 8o F, and the disk B can then be turned back 8 5 any desired point in the rotation of the coincarrying mechanism. Projecting from the back of the jaws is a pin or lug z', which is normally set in the position shown in Fig 2 by a spring i", and this pin or lug is so set in respect to a stop m, directly or indirectly on 10o the casing, that when thedisk B' is turned the pin will strike the stop m and turn the jaw D, as shown in Fig. 6, and cause the coin to be then thrown out from between the jaws. The spring of the jaw E aids in discharging the coin when the jaw D is turned. The stop m in the present instance is mounted on an adjustableplate or disk M, which is confined to the casing by a clamp-screw m and clamp m2; but on releasing the clampscrew the plate can be turned to adjust the stop m to any desired position, according to the indicatingmarks which I preferably use on the disk, as shown in Fig. 3. If, for instance, the device is to be applied to a prepayment gas-meter and the coin is a five-cent piece, then the disk is set so that five cents worth of gas may be used on the insertion of the coin. If the apparatus is used to receive coins of other deno1ninations,or the price of gas varies, then the disk may be turned so that the apparatus will cause the desired quantity to be automatically measured out or delivered for the value paid.

In Fig. 7 I have shown a modication in which the projection e4 on one of the posts or rods e5 of the jaw E engages with the teeth of an internal gear F', which will then occupy the place of the gear F. (Shown in Fig. l. In this case the jaw D is fixed, while the jaw E is adapted to rotate in its carrier-posts e5 to eject the coin when the carrier B has been turned the required distance.

In the modification shown in Fig. 8, also, the jaw D is fixed, while the jaw E3 is adapted to be movable from and toward the jaw D and also to be free to have a partial rotary movement in the sliding frame e6, acted on by springs e7, which tend to draw the frames c and rotary jaw E2 outward radially from the axis of the carrier-disk B. In this figure I have shown two sets of coin-jaws and the carrier-disk for coins of different denominations, and it will be understood that more than two sets may be used without departing from my invention.

The spring 17 has been omitted from Figs. 5 to 8 for the sake of clearness of illustration.

In Fig. 9 I have shown a slide B2, carrying the two jaws D2 and E2. The latter being the movable jaw is in the form of a spring-arm, while the jaw D2 can be turned upon its pivot. The coin-carrier slide B2 can be moved back and forth by a pinion p on a shaft with a handle, such as B b, hereinbefore described, this pinion p gearing with a rack 29' on the slide. A projection on the jaw E2 engages when the coin is inserted with teeth F2 on a lon gitudinally-movable shaft C', controlling the vending mechanism.

In Fig. 10 the rotatable jaw DS is shown provided with a series of notches for the coin, so that the jaw can simply turn in one direction, thus dispensing with the return-spring i', or the jaw D4 may be made, as shown in Fig. l1, with a wedge-shaped slot d2, into which the dog a3 on the door a can enter upon the opening of the door to'positively turn the jaw back to its original position after it has discharged the coin.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination, in aprepayment vending apparatus, of the casing having an opening for the passage of the coin, with a movable carrier having two jaws adapted to align with the opening and receive the coin between them, one of said jaws being movable toward and from the other, the said jaws being arranged to positively hold the coin in place between them by theirclamping action alone, with connections between the movable carrier and a supply controlling device so that on the movement of the carrier away from the opening with a coin between the jaws the feeder or controller will be operated, and means for discharging the coin from the jaws, substantially as described.

2. The combination, in a prepayment vending apparatus, of the casing having an opening for the passage of the coin, with a mov* able carrier having two jaws adapted to align with the opening and receive and hold the coin directly between them, one of said jaws being movable toward and from the other and adapted to engage a suppl T-controlling device, so that on the movement of the jaws away from the opening with the coin between them the feeder or controller will be operated, with means for discharging the coin from the jaws, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a prepayment vending apparatus, of a carrier having two jaws, one movable in respect to the other with means whereby said movable jaw engages with a supply-controlling device when a coin of the proper denomination is inserted between the jaws, means for moving the carrier and a stop acting on one of said jaws to release the coin, substantially as described.

4. 'Ihe combination, in a prepayment vending apparatus, of a carrier having two jaws, one movable in respect to the other, with means whereby the movable jaw engages with a supply-controlling device when a coin of the proper denomination is inserted between the jaws, means for moving the carrier, and an adjustable stop acting on one of said jaws to release the coin, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in a prepayment vending apparatus, of a carrier having two jaws, one jaw adapted to slide toward and from the other jaw, and one jaw being adapted to ro* tate on an axis, with means for turning the carrier, a toothed wheel with which said sliding jaw engages when a coin is inserted between the two jaws, and means for rotating the rotary jaw to discharge the coin, as the carrier is turned, all substantially as described.

6. The combination of the disk, two jaws on said disk, one of said jaws being movable toward and from the other, and means for partially rotating one of said jaws and dis- IOO IIO

IZO

charging the coin and a shaft by which the disk is turned, with a stop acting on the rotatable jaw, a toothed wheel with which the sliding jaw engages, when the coin is between the jaws, and a spring tending to close the jaws, substantially as described.

7. The combination of the casing, an opening therein for the passage of the coin, an operatin g shaft, jaws mounted on said shaft, one of said jaws being movable from and toward the other, and a spring tending to close the jaws, with a toothed wheel with which the sliding jaw engages, and a stop acting to discharge the coin when the jaws are moved away from the slot in the casing, to a predetermined point, substantially as described.

8. The combination of the casing, an opening therein for the passage of the coin, and a cover for said opening, with a carrier having jaws for the coin within the casing, said carrier being so set in relation to the cover that the cover cannot be opened except when the coin jaws are opposite the openin g, and the carrier cannot be operated except when the cover is closed, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the casing having a coin-opening, an operating shaft, a disk on said shaft having a notch and jaws carried by said disk to receive the coin,with a cover for the opening in the casing, said cover having a portion adapted to enter the notch in the disk and so situated that the cover cannot be opened except when the notch is brought opposite the cover, substantially as described.

l0. The combination of the casing, having a slot for the coin,with an operating shaft, a rotary disk thereon, jaws carried by said disk, one jaw being movable in respect to the other, and one jaw having a rotary motion to discharge the coin, a spring tending to close the jaws, a projection on said rotative jaw, and

a stop against which the projection strikes when the disk is turned, substantially as described.

l1. The combination of the casing having a slot for the passage of the coin, an operating shaft and a disk thereon, jaws mounted on said disk, one jaw being movable from and toward the other, and one jaw being adapted to rotate, and a spring tending to close the jaws, with a stop for striking the rotary jaw, a projection on the sliding jaw, an operated shaft, and a toothed wheel on said shaft with which the projection engages, when a coin is inserted, substantially as described.

12. The combination in a prepayment vending apparatus, of the casing havingacoin slot and a movable coin-carrier within the casing having a pair of jaws to receive and hold the coin between them, with a hinged cover having a projection to enter the slot and a lug on said cover for retainingthe carrier in position for the insertion of a coin, substantially as and for the purpose described.

l 3. The combination,in a prepayment vending apparatus, of the casing having a coin-slot, a coin carrier with two jaws one movable toward and from the other, one of said jaws being rotatable, and having a groove, a door to cover the slot in the casing and having a dog to pass into the groove in the rotary jaw to turn it, so that its coin slot will align with the opening in the casing, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK EDWARD MORGAN.

Witnesses:

HENRY L. BRANT, HUBERT HowsoN. 

